Apparatus



C. D. YOUNG.

COUPLING CENTERING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED AUGJY. 91].

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'c. 0. vouwe. COUPLING CENTERING APPARATUS.

APPLICATIQN. FILED Aue.21, I917.

Patented Nov. 25, 1919.

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COUPLING CENTERING APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED. AUG-27.1%].

1 ,322,7%4. Patented Nov. 25, 1919.

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To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that 1, CHARLES D. YOUNG, a citizen of the United States, residing at .Wilinington, county of New Castle, and State of Delaware, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Coupling-Centering Apparatus, of which the following is a specification,

This invention relates to centering devlces for railway car couplers and is especially designed for use in connection with couplers which have radial movement of the coupler head with respect to the shank. The primary object of the invention is the provision of a device of the character specified which will return either the shank or the head or both at once to central position when uncoupled. A further object of the invention is the provision of acentering device all the operating parts of which are open to inspeotionand readily accessible for purposes of repair or replacement. The preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a plan view of a coupler with my centering oevice applied thereto; Fig. 2 is a horizontal section; Fig. 3 is a side elevation with one of the spring caps removed; Fig. 4: is a vertical section through the centering device; Fig. 5 is an end view of certain parts of the device showing the arrangement of the spring caps; F 1g. 6 1s a view of one of the parts of the invention; and Fig. 7 is an enlarged section illustrating a detail of the device.

Referring to the drawings, it will be seen that I provide a yoke, 7, constructed to receive the bearing head 8 of the shank 9. At the outer end of the shank is located the coupler head 10 which is arranged for radial movement with respect to the shank in a novel manner which will be but briefly described here, as it in itself does not form a part of the present invention but which has been disclosed and claimed in my co -pending application, Serial Number 188,357, filed August 27, 1917. The head has a tail llbearing at its end an enlarged portion 12, the tail with its enlarged portion fitting into a recessin the shank, the said recess forming a pronged or forked end, the forks being indicated by the reference character 13. Between th rear of the head and the prongs of the shank, curved bearings 14: are provided to receive the bufiing strains,

Application filed August 27, 1917. Serial No. 188,358.

and between the forward facesof the enlarged portion 12 and the prongs 13 curved bearings 15 to receivethe pulling strains. It is by virtue of these curved'bearings that the head has radial movement 'withres'pect to th shank. A groove 12 in the enlarged portionl2, the sides of which are adapted to engage the stop pin 12 in the shank, serves to limit the movement of the head.

A description of the centering device will now be given. Two clappers 16, one on each side, bear against the shank 9, their outer ends 17 engaging the inner end of the tail of th coupler head. The rounded portions 18 hearing on the lugs 19 on the shank Specification of Letters Paar. Pate ted Nov. 25;, 15919. e

provide pivoting points for the clappers 7 when their outer ends are displaced by movement of the coupler head. A spring 20 passes through holes in the clappers and through a central horizontal passageway 21 in theshank, each end of which is received by a spring cap 22 provided with a projection 23 which extends a short distance within the spring and which serves to maintain the same in position. These caps ar adapted to bear against suitable portions of the car framing 24c and are arranged diagonally withrespect to each other as clearly shown in Fig. 5. Two slots 25 are formed in the ends of each cap from each of which a pin 26 extends through suitable openings in the shank to the clapper on the far side. These pins are illustrated in Fig. 6 from which figure it will be seen that at one end they are provided with a round head 27 and at the other with a T head or short cross piece 28suitable for engagement with the slots in the spring caps. The pins are put into place from the clapper side, the crosspiece 28 passing through rectangular openings 29 (see Fig. 3), the round head 27 being received by a spherical depression 30 at one end of the opening (see Figs. Band 7).

The operation of the device is as follows: Upon movement of the coupler in either direction the shank will, of course, carry with it one of the clappers 16; the clapper will pull on the two pins 26, which-in turn will move the spring cap against the spring, thereby compressing it. Therefore, it is evident that there is always present the effort to maintain the coupling shank in central position, which position is immediately assumed whenever uncoupling occurs. By virtue of the contact between the tail of the head and the outer ends 17 ofthe elappers,

it will be seen that the-head also is readily' brought to central position. There is thus provided a single device for centeringeither the shank or the head or both at once and by means of a single spring- The apparatus is simpleand eflicient, and all WOIk ingpart's' areopen to inspectionand readily accessible for purposes of repair'or' replacement.

Iclaim: 5 a

1'. A couplercentering device comprising in combination a spring, a member on each side of the coupler adapted to bear against it, and means passing through each memher and the coupler adapted to conn ect the other member to an end of the spring.

in 2. In a coupler having a shank and a head to engage both the shank and the head, a spring passing through the said members and the shank, and means also passing 25 I through the members and the shank: connecting each member to an end of the spring. or

In testimony, whereof, I have hereunto V signed my name. a

- CHARLES D, YOUNG. v 

